The Ashes of Destiny
by Soultrancer
Summary: I once thought I knew how my life would play out and while I wasn't okay with it, I was resigned and bound to it as was my duty. It is the burden that has fallen to my clan for 86 generations before me but everything changed when the Date army attacked. They weren't after the Lord though, no, they wanted the unmatched power detailed in the Aryan Scroll. And I'm the only translator.


**Alright well this took a lot longer to get out than I thought it would but nonetheless here it is! **

**Please review and let me know if any of you like this one better than the original! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sengoku Basara or any of its characters.**

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><p>It was today.<p>

Today was the day my life would end.

"Do you, Mitsukuni Isana, vow to keep the treasure of this city and that our ancestors' safe from those who would wish to destroy it or use its knowledge for their own selfish gain? Do you vow that if the situation should call for it, give your life to keep safe this sacred artifact?" the deep regal voice spoke from above me.

"I do." I answered and with those two little words, I'd sealed my fate. I could feel the weight drop upon my shoulders of a new responsibility and a burden. Swallowing hard, I managed to hold back tears of anger, frustration and hatred. "It is both my honor and duty to accept this noble obligation." The words flowed out of my mouth like water over rocks but inside I was drowning on them.

"It is done." The crowd that had gathered for my, coronation so to speak broke into celebratory cheering. As tradition dictated, there would be a glorious feast held in my honor held in the Lord's house. I would have to be present for at least some of it but I planned to make an escape as soon as an opportunity presented itself.

My silver robes swished as I stood and turned to face all those assembled there. Their smiling and joyous faces made me want to wretch. Didn't they know what had just happened? I had just signed my life away to rotting in this godforsaken town. No longer would I be able to leave the gates of this city because my duty forbade me from doing so. No longer would I be able to run in the forest just outside the walls and feel the leaves brush my skin like smooth silk. I was now doomed to a caged life until I died or had a child of my own whom I could pass my burden to.

Slowly the crowd began to trickle out and I was left standing on the elevated podium at the front of the temple. A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and I looked up into chocolate brown eyes that held a sorrow too deep to describe and a crushing sadness. My father was the only one in this wretched place that knew the truth. The truth about the ceremony here today, the truth about how I was feeling and the truth behind the vile scroll that I had just pledged my life to protect.

The history that was written in manuscripts and given to the people was a lie. It spoke of heroic battles won by our people and prosperous years but the one that was written in the Aryan Scroll told of a different tale entirely.

_Thousands of years ago our people did indeed live in a prosperous empire and for generations that was how it existed. But nothing lasts forever and sooner or later their fortune would run out. _

_A new and ambitious ruler had just been crowned and been anointed with the Divine Right which allowed him to govern not only the people but the earth, the sky, and the sea. It was a tremendous amount of energy to take in all at once and it wasn't long until it had taken over his mind completely and drove him mad. That was the beginning of the Ninety Days of Darkness._

_The Power gained a desire of its own and without hesitation it began to fulfill it. Using the body of the emperor it summoned forth great waves to sink the ships that sullied its waters. With the earth, it opened great chasms that swallowed all that stood above them, and with the sky called forth clouds so black, they blocked out all light completely._

_Its tasks completed the Power, complete with its host, stepped down to survey the results of its labor. Bodies lay strewn about the ruins of what was once a great city but now was nothing more than rubble. Disgusted by what lay around it the Power retreated back into its castle and began once again to work on a way to clear the earth of this stain._

_It was during this time that the resistance was formed among those few lucky enough to have survived the onslaught of the elements. They plotted a way in which they would murder the mad emperor and destroy the Divine Right that had caused all of this misfortune. Even the Mitsukuni clan, that had served the emperor for generations as translator for the Aryan Scroll, joined the rebellion. They were the spearhead to the operation as using a sealing technique contained within the Scroll would be part of the plan._

_Time passed and on the eighty-seventh day the possessed emperor once again emerged from his fortress. By using the Aryan Scroll the Divine Right had discovered and harnessed a new force to its arsenal. With a wave of his hand, a hole formed in the thick overhead cover and a small sliver of light shone down upon him. Then the earth began to shake like never before._

_Dark tendrils of smoke began to seep from the cracks that formed around the emperor and slowly began to absorb the light and grow darker every second. Knowing that if they waited any longer it would be too late, the resistance attacked and with the element of surprise they were able to gain the advantage._

_The battle was short and only lasted three days but it was by no means an easy fight. By the time it was finished there was nothing left except a scorched and barren landscape, even the castle that was carved into a cliffside had sustained heavy damage. But as the sun broke through the clouds for the first time and shone down on the golden crown and banished the darkness from whence it came, the resistance truly felt victorious. _

_Out of all that had joined their cause, only seven remained and in honor of their feat they named themselves the Warriors of the Rising Sun. _

_Their mission complete, the Aryan Scroll was once again entrusted to the Mitsukuni clan who vowed that no one would use it for evil purposes ever again and the deeds of what happened were recorded in it for future generations to know. In order to keep this disaster from ever happening again, the Scroll was taken by the clan to somewhere where it would be safe and unable to revive the evil that now lived in their homeland. Thus the first of many Guardians to come was born. _

Whatever happened to the Divine Right that wreaked havoc over the land is not known. The details were not written in the Scroll and there was much speculation on the subject. One rumor says that it was sealed in the crown and hidden in the castle; another says it was thrown into the ocean, and a third says it was destroyed on the ninetieth day. Personally I didn't care, all I knew is that I wasn't going to go looking for it and neither was anybody else.

"Come Isana, we must go change into our ceremonial robes before we attend the celebration that is to be held in your honor." My father told me gently and I nodded before we started to make our way to the exit. I should probably be more excited, I mean this party is _entirely_ for me even if this wasn't how I wanted to spend my thirteenth birthday.

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><p>It has been six years since that day which I dreaded so thoroughly and has been four since my father died. His death happened during an attack on the city while he was fighting the main force of the invaders in the town square. To say it was chaos would be an understatement. Bodies were piled, shoving and moving in every direction possible. While my father was battling with one of them head on another snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the back with a long knife. But before the man could pull the blade out my father had turned and sliced his head clean off. It had been an honorable death and one I'm sure he was proud of.<p>

These past years have been a very tumultuous time for the Land of the Rising Sun; warlords have risen and fallen faster than the waxing and waning of the moon. Granted some have stayed and there was even Nobunaga Oda, the Demon King and Hideyoshi Toyotomi who had even managed to unite almost the whole country into one. However thanks to the Date and Takeda armies it did not last long and soon enough it was back to the states waging pointless war with each other.

Shifting my stance I was able to find a position in my crouch that was a little more comfortable and I settled back down to continue gazing out over the city. Despite my distain for being trapped here like an animal and the ignorance of the people that inhabited it, I suppose it was at least nice to look at. The houses were well made and the private gardens of many of the nobles were beautiful and kept in perfect order. The streets were as clean as they could be with all the mud and dirt that was constantly being shuffled around by the busy feet of people bustling in crowds. Currently I sat upon my own house which was located in the aforementioned aristocratic quarter close to the Lord's own mansion. It was colored in the traditional blood red and gold that represented the Aryan Scroll itself.

A breeze suddenly picked up and tossed my silver bangs into my green eyes. The rest of my long hair was tightly pulled back into a clip at the back of my head. For clothes I wore a high necked shirt that was sleeveless to reveal the metal fishnet that I had on to protect my arms from most weapons. On my forearms were black leather gloves that reached my biceps and reached all the way down to my hand where it had a loop around my middle finger to keep them in place. There was a long sash that was tied loosely around my torso for further protection and also as a place where I had hidden multiple small kunai. Underneath that was my tunic that reached down to mid-thigh in the front and down to the middle of my calves in the back with a wide slit on either side for ideal movement. Loose and comfortable pants were then tucked into white leg wrappings that were durable enough to withstand anything so far that I've been able to throw at them.

"Isana-sama!" a young voice called out and I looked down to the ground to see a small boy running towards where I was perched. A huge grin had almost split his face in half and I couldn't help but return a small one of my own as I jumped from my perch.

"Kenta, what brings you here in such a hurry?" I asked but I had a feeling I already knew the answer to that. Lately the Lord and his council have been taking it upon themselves to remind me that it is also part of my duty to marry and produce another heir to the Guardianship.

"The Lord wants you to come to the palace. I think there's some sort of surprise for you there." He grinned wickedly, or as wickedly as a little boy of ten could, and I raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"Then I suppose I should go and see what it is the Lord has to surprise me with, now shouldn't I?" I answered and he nodded as hard as he could before I ruffled his short hair playfully, "Alright well I'm going to head there, you can go inside and I'm sure one of the servants will get you a snack for your hard work." I suggested gesturing back to my house and just when I thought his smile couldn't get any bigger or brighter, somehow he managed it. With a spring in his step he started to make his way to the door and once he had gotten inside and sent me a goodbye wave that I returned before I started for my destination. Leaping over the rooftops was by far the easiest way to get around the city and I loved it. It was a short trip to the mansion and sure enough at the front doors there were some of the lady servants waiting for me.

"Mitsukuni-sama," they bowed at the waist, "we were instructed by the Lord to make you presentable for the surprise that is waiting for you. Please follow us to the rooms that have been designated for your use." They parted to either side of the small walkway to allow me to pass by. Slightly irritated about what going on I stepped forward and let them lead me to wherever it was we were heading.

The first stop was the baths and with the slight chill in the air, I have to say I was more than happy to climb into the warm water. I spent as much time as I felt was necessary until I was clean before I got out and allowed them to dry me off and give me a clean white robe. After that I was led to the dressing room and that's where things started to go sour.

On a stand was a beautiful peach kimono with extravagant patterns of cherry blossoms, trees, and even cranes. The obi to match was a light sky blue that accented it perfectly. I took one look at it and I knew what kind of surprise was awaiting me.

It was a hard battle with the female servants but eventually they had successfully dressed me and did my hair and makeup so that I would be presentable. I did win when I convinced them I needed to keep my weapons on my person in case something were to happen and I should need them. Thankfully, the one good thing about all this clothing was there were lots of places to easily hide the small knives that I favored.

"You are almost ready Mitsukuni-sama except for one thing." The head servant turned and picked up a golden fan that had a pattern of white flowers across it. "A gift from the Lord in hopes that you will accept his surprise." Taking it I noticed that it was much heavier than it appeared to be and upon closer inspection found that if it was flung open, small blades would protrude from the ends of the metal skeleton. Smiling I gently folded it back up and put it in the front of my obi where I would be able to reach it easily should the situation arise where I shall need it, whether that'd be as a fan or a weapon.

Once again being led along through the hallways my anger began to melt away and was replaced with a sense of dread and a gnawing nervousness. It was like being led into a battle except I knew battle; I'd grown up with it, learned from it and lived with it. This concept of dressing up in ridiculous amounts of cloth and being polite to people while talking behind their backs was something that was completely foreign to me. By the time we reached the main hall I was practically ready to throw up and I'm sure that the white paint to make my skin pale was no longer needed as I felt as white as a piece of undyed cotton.

A maid ran past me and I instinctively followed her path that led around the corner ahead of me. My gut decided to tell me at this moment that something was amiss but I pushed it to the side because there was no way that was true. There would have been notice of some kind. There were constant patrols from the city's guards and it was nearly impossible to get past them, they were very good at their jobs.

Rounding the corner I was faced with a flurry of activity and when I stopped one of the guards to ask what all the commotion was about, he fearfully stuttered out "It's the Date army! They're right outside the walls and are infiltrating as we speak Mitsukuni-sama!" my eyes widened in shock and I bolted to the nearest window and threw it open with such force I nearly broke it.

Sure enough, the guard was right. The army had already broken past the gates and we making their way through the city so quickly I barely had any time to formulate a plan before I realized something very important. They weren't heading for the Lord's house.

They were heading for the Mitsukuni Temple, where the Aryan Scroll was.

Shit!

Without wasting another minute I bolted back the way I came ignoring the calls of the servants that had been escorting me. Screw whatever the Lord wanted, I had a duty to uphold and I'd be damned if I didn't. My socks were sliding around on the hardwood floors and in one swift motion I'd rid myself of them and no longer had to deal with little traction and made twice the time I did on my way down.

Back in the room where I was over dressed in this ridiculous outfit I fully intended to change back into my regular clothes until Date soldiers stormed into the room the same time as me. The one I assumed was in charge pointed at me and the others rushed to comply but I was already dashing out the door deciding that they weren't worth my time or effort to dispatch.

Outside the situation had gotten even worse. The army was now very near to its destination and I doubled my pace. I absolutely had to get to the temple before they did. Jumping over the rooftops I made good time but there still wasn't enough for me to make a stop at my house and pick up some much needed supplies. Thankfully I kept an emergency stash hidden in the temple.

An arrow missed my head by only centimeters and I quickly returned it with a well-aimed kunai into the archer's chest before he could draw another. The army continued to sweep through the city almost as if there was no resistance whatsoever and I found myself cursing that damn Date Masamune with every fiber of my being.

Finally I arrived at the giant double doors of the temple and without any hesitation rushed inside. Closing them behind me I then barred them with the beam that swung down from the side that was meant for such purposes. Rushing to the back of the room I grabbed the Scroll and pulled up a loose floorboard. I quickly pulled out my supplies that included a change of clothes as well as a decoy scroll before putting the real one in its place. I swiftly began equipping myself with several more kunai and shuriken, several small knives and a katana. There was also a bandana that I tied around my nose and mouth to help obscure my identity somewhat even though now that I think about it, the makeup that was already on me would probably accomplish that just as effectively.

A boom at the doors snapped me back to reality and I swiftly wrapped the real Scroll in my spare clothes before I threw the board back into place and made sure that it wasn't askew or showed any sign that it was different than any of the others around me. Satisfied I flew back to the shrine where the Scroll is usually housed and put the fake one in its place.

It was at that moment the doors exploded inwards and I was left standing among the splinters of what used to be two works of art. The one responsible was framed by the setting sun as he calmly walked into the temple like he was here for no other reason than to pay his respects to the dead the Scroll honored. From the weapons he openly carried however I knew that this was not the case. Not that it wasn't obvious before how he busted in here.

The helmet he wore had a crescent moon shape on the front and a blue tunic that was cut in a very jagged shape around the bottom hem. He wore black armor on his shoulders, arms and legs, the bracers on his arms had a gold lightning design on them as well.

Another man trailed behind him wearing a brown coat with a blue lining and rather than the over exaggerated six swords his boss carried, this man had a reasonable two. His hair was slicked back and flared out at the ends flared out behind his ears.

"Heh, a woman? This ought to be interesting, Kojuro you go for the scroll, and I'll take care of the Guardian." Date commanded and prepared himself for battle, I did the same pulling out a pair of knives.

"The only way you're getting to that Scroll is over my dead body!" I stated coldly and launched myself at him before he could make the first move. He had an eye patch over his right eye so I brought up my left hand in an attempt to attack his blind side. He blocked it effortlessly and started to grin widely, "Let's party!" he cried and made to slice me open.

Parrying I brought up my other hand to make a stab at his open chest and was just about to pierce his flesh when he dodged to the side and drew another sword that was aimed at my right side. Dropping to the floor I avoided it then sprung between his legs which forced him to jump and I turned mid-air and flung a handful of shuriken at him.

The _ting_ of metal hitting metal let me know I hadn't landed a hit but I was already on a trajectory back in his direction with a new barrage just a fraction of a second ahead of me to distract him. Another rapid succession of _tinging_ let me know that he had deflected them but it was my sword he really needed to worry about.

Clang! Our swords locked together as I had tried to cut off his head. We started to fall back towards the ground and because of my momentum he was going to be on the bottom. Using my legs I gained leverage on his chest and pushed down with all my might. His one eye widened in realization before he was plummeting towards the ground.

CRASH!

A dust cloud so thick I couldn't see through it appeared but I didn't need to, I knew exactly where my quarry was. Angling my sword downwards I fell straight down directly on top of where that wretched Date would be. SHINK my sword was so sharp it cleanly cut right through…

…wood.

I barely had any time to react as my adversary came flying at me from the side. Leaving my sword embedded in the wood I rolled the opposite direction and when I was halfway around he elbowed me in the stomach sending me crashing into the floor. That wouldn't have happened if I'd had my regular clothes, curse the limited mobility in this damn kimono! That was the only thought I had time for because the next thing I knew a katana was making a beeline for my chest.

Clapping both hands on the sides I managed to stop it just barely a hair's breadth from my skin. It'd even gone through all the layers of clothing I was wearing. Before he could put any more pressure on it I twisted and pushed it off to the side but in the process I tore the fabric covering my left shoulder. Continuing with my momentum I kneed him in the side but only had enough force to make him grunt from the impact. The next thing I knew I was once again flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me due to the fist in my solar plexus. For a second I couldn't do anything as I gaped like a fish for air that wouldn't come. Unfortunately a second was all that Date needed to land the final blow.

To my credit I didn't scream but that was mainly due to the fact that I still couldn't breathe and even when I could it became difficult when I discovered that there was a sword lodged in my side. I drew quick shallow breaths to avoid moving it too much and did my best to hold back the screams that were wanting to rip from my throat.

"ISANA-SAMA!" Screamed a child and I immediately recognized the voice. Whipping my head to the side I saw Kenta running towards me holding a kunai in one hand and a bundle of clothes in the other. No, it couldn't be! He hadn't? I only had the time to feel a moment of absolute horror before I saw Date focusing on his next target. I coughed up blood as he removed his sword and struggled to get up, I had to get up I didn't want to think about what would happen if I didn't.

I coughed up more blood and I could feel the wound start to seep through and dampen my clothing. Move. Move! Damnit move! Date took a step and everything started to move in slow motion. My right hand slapped the floor as I rolled to the left, Date took another step. I pushed against the ground causing me to bleed twice as quickly.

Faster.

They were halfway to each other.

My other elbow started to take some of the weight but more blood leaked from my mouth.

Another step and I started to see dots.

Step. I got one knee underneath me.

Step, I got the other.

CLANK, the kunai was knocked effortlessly from Kenta's hand and Date raised his sword over his head for the final strike.

Gritting my teeth I pushed off from the ground.

My heart pounded as I could only watch as the scene played out.

His sword whistled downwards, a brown blur came from the side and Kenta's horrified face were all I saw before someone drew a line across my back and I fell to the darkness.

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><p><strong>Well there you go there's the revised version of the old story. Please let me know what you think, if you like it better than the original and if you would like to see more!<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


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